By Kellie Walters, Ease@Work Wellness Intern

The Problem…

 How is wellness affecting your employees?

 Think about it.

 Do you see people slouching over their desks, only to be out sick for back pain later?

• Is one of your employees eating junk food every day and ends up having to leave early because of stomach pains?
• Do employees sit at their desk all day and steadily increase in weight?
• Does an employee end up on disability because of a work related injury that may have been prevented if they were in better shape?
• Has an employee missed work because of a heart attack or other serious condition?

Now think about how that affects your profits.

For many employers, 20% of the workforce accounts for 80% of the health care claims. Heart disease, asthma, mental health disorders, cancer, and hypertension are the major drivers of health care costs. Besides requiring doctor visits, these conditions often require a great deal of daily medication. Karin Palmer, R.D., and co-creator of the EASEy Weigh program explains, “Some of the highest costs in healthcare claims come from prescription medications – your blood-pressure meds and cholesterol reducing meds like Lipitor and other designer medications.  What makes this even more expensive is that you are often refilling them on a monthly basis, unlike periodic visits to the doctor.” 

The Solution…

Many of the above conditions (and their costs) could be prevented with behavioral and environmental changes. By eating better, exercising, quitting smoking, reducing stress, and stopping substance abuse you can help reduce the incidence of these conditions and, in turn, help reduce health care claims. As an employer, you can help your employees turn things around and get back into health.

Employers can make a few workplace changes to create a healthy workplace culture. The process of eliminating unhealthy triggers and surrounding employees with healthy choices will help facilitate change. A wellness program should be centered on prevention, have a definite focus, and involve some sort of system to measure success. The following are some components to consider including:

Make healthy the only option…or at the very least, an option.

            Too often, employers promote “workplace wellness sabotage” where donuts are strategically placed in the most visible office areas and where staff meeting refreshments consist of sodas and chips. Vending machines are stocked with sugary and fatty snacks. Instead, start serving fruit and stocking up on healthy snacks. If better food is accessible, people are more likely to eat it.    

Make the office a place for fitness.

            How convenient would it be to get in a workout on your lunch break or right before you leave for the day? Giving employees a place to work out will help them do it more. 

Get up and go!

            Get your employees up and moving. Encourage employees to take those few steps over to another office to ask a question instead of sending someone an email. Create a lunchtime walking group. To really get employees up and moving, hand out pedometers and offer a prize to the biggest stepper.

Promote a smoke-free environment.

            Policies on tobacco in and around the workplace vary, but one thing about tobacco use is universal – it does affect health and health care costs. If you are looking to do something in this area, consider offering tobacco cessation coaching to your employees. Create policies that prohibit smoking on the property or taking smoke breaks.  A health insurance premium discount on non-tobacco using employees is very effective, but sometimes controversial.  Be careful not to call it a penalty for smokers, which is a violation of ERISA.

Counseling Services

            Stress, poor mental health, and substance abuse can have a negative impact on employee health. Not only is mental health crucial to well being, it is also important for good physical health.

 Wellness Committee

           When instituting a wellness program, you should create a wellness committee to champion these changes. Ideally, this committee will have 3-5 people who represent the goals of the program and drive it forward.  Try to get representation from as many departments as possible, so that they can have a positive effect on participation and input can be obtained from throughout the company.

 On site weight management programs

            Consider bringing in an on site weight management program. Chances are many of your employees already want to do something like this but don’t think they have the time. By bringing it into the workplace, employees are more likely to stick with it.

Some final tips…

• Don’t expect to see changes overnight. Studies have shown that it takes three- to five-years for wellness programs to take effect.
• Recognize that there are resources out there for you. Consider community resources that can help you implement some of these programs.

Sources:

Wellness Council of America. “Creating a Culture of Wellness: A WELCOA Quick Inventory.” 2009.

Sibson Consulting. “Results from Sibson’s Heath Enterprise Study.” 2011.

By Valerie S. Nosek

Anyone who has ever smoked knows how difficult it is to quit. I know because I smoked all through college and well into my adult life.

As I got older, and was well-hooked into the habit, I thought about quitting almost everyday. But then I’d feel stressed and felt I needed a smoke, or worst yet, I just wouldn’t even think about what I was doing and light up.

At the time, if you wanted to quit smoking, you basically went cold turkey. The gums and medications we have today weren’t available then to help smokers quit. (OK, I’m dating myself!) The point is, I can understand how smokers today, who want to quit, look to anything that will assist them.

But a recent article from CNN highlighted concerns about two drugs commonly prescribed to assist those who are trying to quit smoking. The article, Two Anti-Smoking Drugs to Carry Mental-Health Warnings, pointed out that while we know “smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death,” those using prescription medications Chantix and Zyban need to be aware that the medications have been reported to cause changes in behavior, including depression and suicidal thoughts.

The article quotes Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research as saying, “The risk of serious adverse events while taking these products must be weighed against the significant health benefits of quitting smoking. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the United States, and we know these products are effective aids in helping people quit.”

I know people who have used Chantix when they were quitting smoking. One person did very well with the prescription, the other did not. The person who did not do well with the medication was fortunate in that she was tuned in with her emotions and moods, so that she immediately recognized changes in her own behavior and feelings. She reported these to her doctor, who then took steps to take her off the prescription.

Recognizing that quitting smoking is the best thing that smokers can do for their health, the FDA does not say that these prescription aids for quitting should be avoided. But they do emphasize the importance of being monitored by your physician.

If you or someone you love is thinking about quitting, gone are the days of the solo mission. There is help available.

Look to:

• Your physician
• The American Lung Association
• The American Heart Association
• Community support groups
• Local “Quit Smoking” initiatives
• Your employee assistance program

When I quit smoking, I know the company I worked for offered an employee assistance program (EAP), but I never thought to go there for help. The EAP was promoted basically for those needing coping or mental health assistance.  Now that I work for an EAP, I realize that a comprehensive EAP offers so much more to employees and their families.  

Counselors skilled at helping people with other habits and addictions can be just as helpful when used for smoking cessation.  And, if smoking is related to stress, counselors can help to develop a smoking cessation plan that starts with stress coping techniques.

Believe me, anyone who smokes knows that it is bad for their health. Often, it’s not a matter of the “want” to quit, but it’s really about how hard… really hard… it is to quit. Find the support you need to do it.

And if you are a former smoker, or a company who has promoted a successful quit smoking initiative, we’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments section here.